Cancer is a big ugly jerk. Donate to Cycle for Survival

This is our sixth time riding and fundraising for this event and the first time we’ve ever really asked you for money. Please keep reading!

Yeah, I’m asking you for money. I just thought I’d be upfront and put it in the headline because those who aren’t interested can ignore this post.

Here’s why you should be interested.

Years ago, my husband had a roommate named Dave. They were 18-year old soccer players at Northwestern University. Over time, they got all mature and got married. Dave to Jen and Ryan to me. Ryan and I have two healthy children. Jen died from stomach cancer. However, that’s not all to know about Jen.

She was a kick ass type of chick — the kind that had big plans and followed through on them. She had a bazillion caring friends and family members who asked, “Hey Jen, what can we do to help?” and so she created an answer for all of us.

When she first got sick, she learned that working out — spinning to be specific — was her sanity saver. She became a spinning addict.

So, Jen and Dave Linn created an event called Spin4Survival, an indoor team cycling fundraiser held in January 2007. She envisioned an event that would “reward and challenge the mind, body, and soul” — one that would eventually become national in scope.

The inaugural event was an inspiration for all who attended. The second annual fundraiser far surpassed projected goals, with more than 120 teams “geared up to battle cancer,” including worldwide satellite teams. In total, the event has raised more than $50 million and has grown into the fundraiser now known as Cycle for Survival.

It is HUGE now. And 100% off the money raised goes to research at Sloan Kettering.

“The fact that this event has directly benefited patients motivates me to keep going,” Jen said a few years ago. “We’ve gained momentum, and we’ve already changed the way we’re fighting this illness. I have great hope that this will ultimately lead to more treatment breakthroughs and higher survival rates for those with rare cancers, so that more of us will live to tell our unique tales.”

In February, Heather and I will ride again (with my husband, pictured above) as part of the Bay Area arm of this fight. Because we can and because we can’t stop. It would mean a lot to us and to the patients living with cancer to have your support. (That means dollars.) Click here to donate through us. Join the battle, because cancer is a big, ugly jerk.